Getting Started with Information Outreach in Your Community

This interactive class will provide a background in cultural competence and outreach skills as librarians make outreach efforts to underserved, underrepresented minority populations in their community. The goal of this course is to offer concrete ideas to enable librarians to initiate outreach programs with these populations. Topics to be covered include locating community demographics, the importance of developing relationships, the basics of building and developing community-based partnerships, recognition and acceptance of cultural differences, and the importance of cultural competency. Some basic concepts of program planning and evaluation within a culturally diverse environment will be covered. Participants will engage in group discussions to explore models for developing their own programs.